This invention relates to antipilferage systems and markers for use therein. More particularly, the invention provides ductile, amorphous metal markers that enhance the sensitivity and reliability of the antipilferage system. The markers contain lower proportions of costly and strategic metals.
Theft of articles such as books, wearing apparel, appliances and the like from retail stores and state-funded institutions is a serious problem. The cost of replacing stolen articles and the impairment of services rendered by institutions such as libraries exceeds $6 billion annually and is increasing.
Systems employed to prevent theft of articles generally comprise a marker element secured to an object to be detected and instruments adapted to sense a signal produced by the marker upon passage thereof through an interrogation zone.
One of the major problems with such theft detection systems is the low signal level produced by the marker. This limits the sensitivity and reliability of the theft detection system. Another problem is the difficulty of preventing degradation of the marker signal. If the marker is broken or bent, the signal can be lost or altered in a manner that impairs its identifying characteristics. Such bending or breaking of the marker can occur inadvertently during manufacture of the marker and subsequent handling of merchandise by employees and customers, or purposely in connection with attempted theft of goods. The present invention is directed to overcoming the foregoing problems.